Transgression
by Hawki
Summary: Archieverse Story: When Mobotropolis fell to Robotnik, its people could do nothing but flee. In the case of Sonic and Chuck, their destination was South Island. However, such sanctuary was not to last...
1. Interruption

**Sonic the Hedgehog: Transgression**

**Chapter 1: Interruption**

In a society of insects, there is only one...and the rest.

It was how Mobius's most prolific, yet arguably most underdeveloped species operated, tiny creatures far removed from more developed mobians. But then again, the concepts of "developed" and "sapience" were mobian concepts. They, mere drones, were around long before they were, and would be around long after the bones of the last mobian had crumbled to dust. Their existence was ordered, secure-all workers and soldiers bred to fight, work and die for the queen. Never deviating. Never questioning. Never letting weakness consume them.

Flying south-west, those in the image of hornets were much the same...yet also different. They were faster for starters, making a journey that mere insects would not dare, or even consider. They were as strong in mind and even stronger in body, made of hard metal. Firm, uncompromising, without mercy. All at the service of their 'queen'...if such a term could be applied. And in all fairness, it couldn't.

Well, no matter. They had the strength. They had the spirit.

And heading towards South Island, they had their orders as well...

* * *

"Here boy! Go fetch!"

"Woof!"

Uncle Chuck had once commented it would have been great to be a dog. Specifically Muttski, but the analogy could be applied on a wider scale. Simple minded, easily content by the simple process of retrieving a stick every time it was thrown... ignorance was apparently bliss. Then again, the same could be said for the one throwing the stick. Sonic the Hedgehog-blue furred, peach skinned, brown eyed and without a care in the world apart from throwing his pet dog a stick up and down the beach, fully aware that he could catch it himself before it even hit the ground. And despite what some adults might say, that wasn't a six year old's ego talking.

Considering how Sonic was more than willing to show off his incredible running ability, most adults might have been unable to say anything in the immediate seconds afterwards.

"Nice job Muttski," the hedgehog commented to his pet dog as he brought the stick back that he had thrown, the dog sticking out his mouth like a rabid Overlander. "Not as nice as I could have done it, but hey, where's the fun in that?"

Muttski didn't answer. Or, if sending his big brown ears flapping as he shook the water off him counted as an answer, his master couldn't understand it. Then again, he didn't have to...like many things. In an ideal world, a mobian of that age should have been able to live his life in an environment where the only concerns were homework. Then again, Mobius had been far from an ideal world in the past six years. And while his uncle understood that a lot better than he did, the scientist's nephew understood the basics.

So ignorance _was _bliss. And not just for pets...

One year ago, everything had changed for better and for worse, and all in the space of a few days. Better, in that the Great War had finally come to an end, the Kingdom of Acorn triumphing over the Overlanders of Megapolis. Worse, in that the man who had made it possible, Doctor Julian Ivo Kintobor, had turned against those who had welcomed him into their ranks, usurping control from King Acorn, conquering Mobotropolis and preventing ninety percent of its citizens from escaping. What had happened to that ninety percent, Sonic didn't know. Nor did he know what had happened to those who had escaped the city, whether they be an adult like or one of his old childhood friends. He and Chuck were on South Island in the Mobian Ocean, hundreds of miles away. Here, Chuck was the only adult he knew and Muttski was the closest thing he had to a friend. Apparently the mobians of South Island were reluctant to take anyone in from Mobotropolis, but Chuck was making do by selling chilli dogs just like he had back in the kingdom's capital. And Sonic...well, provided he kept his super-speed to a minimum and didn't wear out his shoes too much, he was pretty much free to do what he wanted.

Which reeked. Because running was one of the things he enjoyed best. And despite living in a house on the beach, swimming was one of the things he loathed the most. In essence, not the most favourable combination.

"Woof! Woof!"

Ignorance was bliss. But it had its limits. Because Muttski had brought back the stick _again _and Sonic was running out of patience to throw the damn thing.

_Chuck said we came here to be free from Warlord Julian...but this isn't free...it's a prison..._

Maybe an exaggeration, but Sonic couldn't help but feel trapped. He missed his friends, he missed his speed and about the only things that could keep him occupied was playing with Muttski or helping Chuck prepare (a.k.a. taste) chilli dogs before he went to his stall in town. And with his uncle in town right now, and with Muttski's perseverance getting annoying, he was running out of options, bar the one thing he was forbidden to do.

_Can't be that bad. I mean, sand doesn't offer that much friction, and there's no-one stupid around to get in my way. Well, not Antoine-stupid anyway..._

Sighing, Sonic tossed the stick in the opposite direction to which he began walking. He didn't want to think about Antoine. Not because he was the least close to the coyote, but because thinking about him would inevitably lead to him thinking about everyone else. Boomer, Miles, Sally...

So he began running. Imagining that he could cross the sea, to the Great Forest where most of the people of Mobotropolis had fled. Away from rules, away from comfort, away from...well, certainly not the group of hover vehicles approaching him.

_What the...is it the Royal Army?_

The hedgehog came to a stop, though more from instinct rather than desire. Six year olds weren't supposed to get involved in the nitty gritty of waging war against pinkskins, but when your home was part of a city that was the focus of said pinkskins' efforts, you tended to pick up a few things, such as what was the difference between a hover unit and a hover tank. So when Sonic saw the vehicles approaching, he could see they were neither. More along the lines of hover cars, yet with a distinct utilitarianism to them. And considering the occupants who disembarked from them, maybe that wasn't surprising.

_Army guys? Did the war start again?_

Sonic didn't run for cover or anything. Partly because there was no cover at all on the beach that covered South Island's south-west, bar the plains and jungle to the north. Partly because given his speed, Sonic could reach those plains and jungles before these guys could begin chasing him. But mostly because he was six, and while not completely ignorant of the world, had little idea as to what was going on. Not why there were thirty mobians (was that a unit of some kind? He couldn't remember), not why they were carrying _guns _of all things and not why one of them, a tabby cat with a nasty scar over his eye, was walking over to him.

_Ah, maybe he can explain..._

"Beat it kid."

_Or not..._

The hedgehog briefly met the mobian's gaze, quickly averting it because while the cat's left eye was fine, the right was something he'd rather not see or even think about. Instead, he looked at his uniform-simple khaki, no embellishment, a far-cry from what he'd seen of the Royal Army in Mobotropolis. And again, a _gun_. He was carrying a _gun_. Or rather had it holstered, but Sonic felt slightly faint. Guns were what Overlanders used. The monarchy had banned firearms long before the war even started and nurture had ensured that all good children didn't question it.

"You got sand in your ears kid? I said beat it."

Oh, and this cat was a bit of a prick. That was another reason why Sonic decided he didn't like him.

"What you doing sir?" the hedgehog asked, going for a mix of innocence and contempt. "Want to play in the water? I think some flags are up a few miles-..."

"Kid, I'll stick your head on a flag if you don't shut up," the soldier snapped, kneeling down to the hedgehog's level and ensuring that his eyes, including the scarred ones, met the child's. "We need this beach for exercises. We need to exercises because things have gone to hell on the mainland. Things have gone to hell on the mainland because stupid people like yourself apparently thought it was a good idea to let an Overlander run things. Now run along and stay out of our way, or things will go to hell for you as well."

The cat needn't have bothered with that. Sonic wasn't stupid but he was still six. So while he didn't get everything the grunt had uttered, the point that it was indeed a good idea to leave wasn't wasted on him. Nor was the window of opportunity that presented itself...

"Fine fine," the hedgehog muttered. "I'll er...run along."

Which seemed fine to the grunt at first. At least until he realized that "run along" translated to "run so fast that so much sand is kicked up that you end up covered in it."

Even as he ran back to Muttski, Sonic grinned. Even with a section of beach closed off to him, maybe life wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Drones live for one purpose-to defend the hive. Yet those in their image had another purpose. Defend the 'hive'...and attack the hives of others and those who defended them.

They had the enemy drones in their sight. Few of them, unaware, far from their hive. A prime target. A target that their sensors fed back to their 'queen,' waiting for a response. They knew their purpose, but also knew their place. So it was not until they were given the order **TERMINATE **that they moved forward.

They would serve the hive...

* * *

_A/N_

_While hopefully it doesn't stand as a WTF issue, I do feel a few explanations are owed. You know, with South Island being in the Archieverse..._

_Basically, this fic was concieved when I was writing with a multiverse approach to the series, incorporating them all into a single setting. I've since abandoned that approach and came to settle on making this an Archieverse fic. Granted, South Island has never appeared in the series, but there's nothing to say that it doesn't exist at all-probably too small for the Mobius map shown in _Brave New World_. And as for why Sonic is on the island? Basically I consider _Oh No-Robo! No Mo' Mobo! _to be tiered canon (a.k.a the secondary story in the very first mini-series issue), that Sonic and Chuck didn't go straight to Knothole after Mobotropolis fell. Stretching it a bit I know, but there's been more overt retcons in the series than that._


	2. Inspection

**Sonic the Hedgehog: Transgression**

**Chapter 2: Inspection**

_Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day..._

Sonic shook it off. It was truly a testament as to how boring South Island could be that he was reciting _poetry _of all things. Specifically poetry Sally had uttered once to annoy him, said poetry apparently being written by a long forgotten civilization, but _poetry _all the same. So jogging along the beach at a healthy speed of around fifty miles per hour, the hedgehog cast his mind elsewhere. Anything but _poetry_...

It only half worked.

In one instant, all thoughts of the petty pace from day to day was cleared from the mobian's mind. Yet in another instant, and many instants afterwards, nothing followed. Because while Sonic could ignore his oldest friend's words all he wanted, that didn't change the fact that they summed up his situation quite adequately. True, Uncle Chuck was home today, last seen clearly Muttski after the dog took a roll in some dry, dirty sand, but the scientist's nephew still found himself in the same position. Still on the beach, still on an island, still being forced to keep his speed down and left wondering when or even if things would change.

It soon did.

When Sonic really let himself go with his speed and consequently tore up his sneakers, he would occasionally move so fast that he had trouble seeing where he was going. He knew that practice would alleviate this, that it should be possible for him to increase his maximum 'safe speed,' but considering the price said practice had on his uncle's finances and the soles of his feet, that didn't occur very often. Still, 50mph was pitiful. So pitiful that the mobian had no trouble seeing what lay ahead where he had met the soldiers yesterday. Other mobians were in uniform, but theirs were shades of black and blue, as were the hover cars by them. Policeman maybe? Sonic knew of the concept, even if the Great War had made the distinction between servants of people and state a moot point (or something, grown-ups had a funny way of talking). Yet what to do about it?

_May as well get closer. After all, there's nothing they can do to..._

Sonic came to a stop.

A **Do Not Cross **line tended to have that effect on a six year old. That, and the presence of numerous black bags on the beach and areas where the sand had been scorched the same colour.

This section of beach was apparently depositional, resulting in sand dunes and the like. Most of them were concentrated further up the beach, a transition zone between sand and vegetation, but there were still a few places on the beach itself where Sonic could hide, courtesy of wind shifting the sand. It was behind one of these dunes. Blue didn't exactly mesh well with yellow, but the hedgehog figured the coppers would be too busy doing...whatever they were doing to notice him.

_And what _are _they doing exactly? _

Sonic wasn't sure how long he stayed there, staring. If soldiers had done exercises there, why were police present? Were the scorch marks from their weapons? If so, why were the police apparently so interested in them? And what were those black bags all about? That was the biggest mystery, yet Sonic had no idea what they meant. It was eerie, almost unsettling, yet...well, it was different. And somewhere, in the back of his mind, Sonic felt that was a good thing.

Maybe South Island wouldn't be so boring after all...

* * *

There was a saying that "he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." As far as Flicky Bluebird was concerned, it was far better to just hide and not fight at all.

Oh sure, he'd done his share of 'fighting' recently. A native of Flicky Island to the north-west, perhaps the only _sane _resident as far as he could tell, he'd only recently dealt with an invasion of felines from the Mysterious Cat Country, apparently disregarding their culture's penchant for isolationism. Of course, the 'invasion' was nothing but searching for gems and unleashing their iggies, but as Flicky was the only one on the island who'd done anything about it, it had certainly felt like an invasion. So it was less than a week ago that he'd embarked on a 'vacation' for nearby South Island, to reside on a landmass where he could hear birds saying anything but "flicky" over and over.

_And of course that didn't happen. Figures._

Flicky didn't know why he was still on this island after what happened last night. One moment he was sleeping in the shrubbery of the sand dunes, glad to be away from both Flicky Island and the small city further up the coast. The next he was being woken up by a series of explosions, bright red lights in the sky apparently being their cause. Actually the red lights had come from both the ground and sky, but the latter source quickly became the only one. Some of the cats had mentioned a war to the north, but even if there was any truth to their claims, the bluebird didn't think it could have spread to South Island. Yet last night, he'd been right in the thick of it. Or hiding in the thick of it, but potentially an innocent victim nonetheless.

_Which would be humiliating, some might say. Eaten by a cat or lizard, I can take that. But taken out by a rogue laser? My friends might stop saying "flicky" and actually laugh. Or do both..._

So now, dawn had come. And while the mobian's instinct was to get back to Flicky Island and bear with the insanity, curiosity had compelled him to stay. Curiosity might kill cats (not on Flicky Island though...shame...), but he was a bird and flying high above the site of the battle, he reasoned that he was far enough from the source of his curiosity not to be harmed by it. Fellow mobians, all uniformed, were walking around the site of the battle, none of them glancing up at the circling bluebird who was acting more like a buzzard. All in all, he couldn't blame them. Scorched sand, black bags...a mere bluebird was probably the least of their worries.

"Hey birdie! Get down here!"

Evidently, not the least of a hedgehog's worries though...

It didn't take Flicky long to find the source of the exclamation. A small blue hedgehog was walking away from the **Do Not Cross **line along with waving to him up in the sky. Why he was looking up at the sky Flicky didn't know, but as he was clearly a child, maybe that was for the best.

"Um, yes?" the bluebird asked, still circling around. "What do you want?"

The hedgehog answered by throwing a stone at him.

"Hey, that was...!"

Flicky trailed off. He was a child, and children did stupid things. He might as well engage in conversation with the infant, to see whether his stupidity was more bearable than his fellow birds' insanity. Life experience and all that. And, you know, get some payback for the stone throwing...

_Or maybe not..._

Landing by the hedgehog, Flicky realized that in some respects he was similar to the hedgehog. Dark blue fur to light blue feathers, peach skin to rosy cheeks, brown eyes to beady black ones...all perfectly normal. On the other hand, the hedgehog, while half his age at best, had a...well, _intensity _to him somehow. Like he wanted, _needed _something...more. It was strange, but Flicky felt in an instant that he wasn't meant to be on this island.

"What are you doing, spy?"

And was clearly an idiot.

"Spy?" the bluebird asked incredulously. "What are you-..."

"Flying around the crime-scene, evading me..."

"Kid, you're not a policeman. And if you want to bring your accuracy at throwing rocks into this, you're not ever going to be one either."

Admittedly living on an isolated island meant that Flicky barely understood the concept of a police force, but he wasn't going to tell the hedgehog that. Besides, his barbs had seemed to have calmed him down from his early accusations, so the mobian figured it was time to take the initiative, to have a conversation without "flicky" being said every five seconds.

"So..." asked Flicky eventually. "What's your name?"

"Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

_Sonic? What kind of stupid nickname is that?_

"Flicky," the bluebird said simply, showing that unlike this "Sonic," he didn't always speak his mind. "And you're out here because...?"

"Out to find the ones who attacked South Island."

"...what?"

"Police wouldn't tell me anything, but I can tell something big's gone down," the hedgehog murmured, seemingly talking to himself more than the bird in front of him. "But I'll find them...I can be a hero..."

"Kid, I really wouldn't..."

"See ya Flicky. Got a day to save..."

_By Aurora...he's really lost it..._

Or not. There was a fine line between insanity and stupidity, but Flicky could still see that this hedgehog was being stupid rather than insane. The policeman was probably wise not to tell him anything, but had either ignored or discounted the possibility that a lack of information would cause the hedgehog to want to find out more. Flicky supposed he couldn't fault such a desire, but to act on it? To go after laser-shooting things of death?

_Great, now I'm on his grammatical level..._

Still, there was a silver lining. Not only would the hedgehog likely not find the attackers, but a walking police officer kept him in place. The mobian scampered behind a sand dune as a salamander walked by, talking into his radio.

"Yes sir, we've retrieved the bodies."

"Bodies?" Sonic whispered. "Did he say...bo...bo..."

Flicky shook his head. Poor kid. It was probably too much to handle.

"No, we're not happy about civil servants taking on the role of protectors of the state, but Sky City could indeed be next. Yes sir, I know radar indicated that the aggressors settled down in the jungle, but...yes sir. Out."

Shutting off his radio, the officer walked back to the rest of his unit, making motions that indicated it was time for them to leave. Which suited Flicky just fine. With all this talk of aggressors and bodies, it was probably time for him to leave as well.

Leave the entire island...

"Well kid, it's been nice meeting you," the bluebird lied. "But it's time for me to...wait, where are you going?"

Maybe that wasn't the right question. Flicky could see _where _Sonic was going, namely heading north up the dunes. No...the question was _why _he was going that way.

"Sonic?" Flicky asked, flying after the infant. "Shouldn't you be going...home, or something?"

"Home? When I know where the bad guys are? Fat chance!"

_Oh Aurora, help me..._

Or help Sonic. Here was a kid, armed with nothing but sneakers that had seen better days, who thought he could take on a force that could apparently fly and shoot red lasers of death. True, he could run fast..._really _fast, as he took off to the jungle, but that wasn't enough. He'd likely get himself killed...

_No feathers off my back. I mean, it's not as if I'm the _only _one who can talk sense into him...right? Oh wait, I am..._

Letting out a sigh, Flicky flew after him.

From invading cats with lizards to things that flew and shot lasers...what a vacation this was turning out to be...

* * *

Little grew on the surface of jungles.

It was expected really. A thick canopy, stretching up to feel the rays of golden sunlight...those who dwelt in the trees' shadow were of little significance. Irrelevant. Wasted. Doomed to live in darkness.

It was darkness that did not hinder the intruders.

Darkness meant nothing to them. They could see through it, could illuminate it, could remove it completely if so inclined. Yet the darkness served them well, so they would dwell in it...for now at least.

And soon, upon reaching a place to call their own, others of their kind would dwell in it as well...

* * *

_A/N_

_Yep, in the original multiverse spirit, Flicky is here. While it's not something that really needs clarification (I hope), I will make note in regards to his personality, that it's taken from the only product where he ever had a personality, namely _Metal City Mayhem_...at least to my knowledge. I do know that he made a few appearances in _Sonic the Comic_, but don't know if he ever was a bona fide character in the same way many of the other 'furries' became characters (ranging from Porker down to Sally Acorn for instance). And since I consider the Ladybird novels to essentially be part of the same setting as STC, it's kind of a moot point._

_Now if you excuse me, I need to deal with some tigers and iggies..._


	3. Investigation

**Sonic the Hedgehog: Transgression**

**Chapter 3: Investigation**

**Transcript of Session P79 (excerpt)**

**Personnel: Sky City Defense Force Commanders**

**Date: 3226, Day 69**

**Begin transcript/**

_Gen. Gecko: Intelligence was correct. The swarm was indeed sent from Robotropolis. The few hours' warning was all we needed to direct-…_

_Col. Beaky: To send our own to their deaths! What are we, Overlanders?_

_Gen. Gecko: Overlanders would be able to repel the swarm with ease. But as we don't have the…privilege of being hairless savages…_

_Maj. Leatherback (aside): Is he praising them or cursing them?_

_Gen. Gecko (cont.): We have to make do with what we have. Even if it means sacrificing those under our command for the greater good._

_Col. Beaky: Which is what, exactly? Thirty dead, the swarm has moved inland and we have no idea as to what Robotnik's intentions are? Is this an invasion? A message?_

_Gen. Gecko: I don't know, but if it's an invasion, I don't think there's much we can do about it._

_Maj. Leatherback: Why?_

_Gen. Gecko: Because Robotnik did in one night what the Overlanders couldn't do in five years-overthrow the Kingdom of Acorn and send its population fleeing or…well, roboticize them, whatever that means. Still, he'll need time to consolidate his power. I think sending the swarm is his attempt to keep us scared for what's coming next._

_Col. Beaky: Which is?_

_Gen. Gecko: Conquest, tribute…either ruling through force or the fear of force. Either way, I'm willing to bet we have free reign over the situation. The Sky City police are at our beck and call, which has given me the opportunity to send a team in to find this…swarm and deal with it._

_Maj. Leatherback: And if they can't?_

…

…

…

**End transcript/**

**

* * *

**

"Ah, hey there feathers. Didn't think you were coming."

"It's Flicky. And…never mind."

"Something wrong beaky?"

The bird didn't answer for some reason. Apparently being in South Island's jungle was making him uneasy, though Sonic couldn't imagine why. He'd tagged along hadn't he, so there must have been some reason for doing so. If he wanted to be here, fine. If not, that was even better. Friends were great, no doubt about that, but if Sonic was going to be a hero, he wasn't in the mood to share it with a mobian who made blue look bad.

"Damnit! All these vines, these trees, these…"

Scratch that-feathers could make any mobian look bad.

It was tempting to rush through the jungle, to leave Flicky fluttering while Sonic did…whatever he was supposed to do. It was the inability to complete such a sentence that was partly keeping him at this pace in the first place. True, the jungle was thick and yes, running through it would tear up his sneakers even more than the sand had. Yet Sonic knew he could still move through the setting at what amounted to a decent speed for him. The problem was…he didn't know what he'd be running into…

_Heh, if only the gang could see me now…_

Sonic shook it off. The gang weren't here. Only Flicky was. And as dreary as that sounded, Sonic supposed he should make the most of it.

"Hey feathers," the hedgehog asked suddenly. "Where you from anyway?"

"…"

"Feathers?"

"It's Flicky. And…that's none of your business."

Sonic glanced back over his shoulder, the bluebird fluttering from branch to branch in a manner that he could only describe as uneasy. Some sidekick...sure, the flying ability was great, but Sonic needed something more substantial.

"You know, you could be a little more enthusiastic," the hedgehog said cheerfully, bending under a branch as he did so.

"Enthusiastic? About what? That you're headed into danger and that I might be the only sane one in this jungle?"

"Well no-one asked you to come."

"True, you didn't," Flicky sneered, flying ahead of the hedgehog and landing on a branch, looking down on the mobian like a grim raven. "But did you ever ask yourself what you're looking for, or even if you should be looking for it? Or if you _do _find it…whatever _it _is, what you're going to actually do in such an event?"

Sonic opened his mouth, but it was as if no sound came out. Which was just as well really, considering that he had no good answer for the bird's strange, overly-cautious mindset. Yet in a sense, that was beside the point. Something was roaring…and it was coming from the sky. And looking up, both of the mobians saw it.

_Whoa…_the younger of the pair thought to himself. _Way past cool…_

The thick jungle canopy wasn't helping, but such was the wind and the swaying of trees, Sonic could still get a good look at the source. It was some kind of flying vehicle-painted purple, possessing a quartet of booster engines and a sturdy, brick-like design-certainly the jets were doing far more work than the stubby wings in regards to keeping it airborne.

_Definitely way past…_

Sonic's train of thought disappeared as suddenly as King Acorn had. It _looked _cool, but what if it actually wasn't? What if this was what had caused the destruction on the beach? What if this was what he was looking for? And if that was the case, what was he going to do about it?

"I guess the cavalry's been called in."

Evidently, he wasn't going to do anything. Nothing but glance at Flicky at least, who was also gazing up at the vehicle but with far less perplexion.

"Flicky?" the hedgehog asked, forgetting to call him feathers. "Do you know something?"

"Only that it isn't what we're…_you're _looking for."

Sonic remained silent, but only by virtue of willpower. Bad enough that Flicky was treating his ability to work solo with contempt, but his knowledge was unexpected. Maybe he really was a spy…

"Think about it," the bluebird continued. "A thing that size, it couldn't stay hidden for a second up above the canopy. And it doesn't seem that maneuverable either-hardly the kind of vehicle that attacks a beach and then disappears."

"Alright…fine…" said Sonic slowly, deciding that feathers wasn't actually a spy, but still feeling miffed that the avian seemingly knew more about this stuff than he did. "So it's been sent to find…what, exactly? What is it…we…looking for?"

Flicky didn't answer. Fate did.

Or more specifically, a volley of laserfire…

* * *

A few seconds ago, Flicky had started to think that this vacation had been worth it.

Sure, it had involved some kind of battle on a beach, maybe even an invasion. And yes, for better or worse, he'd been saddled up with a hedgehog whose intelligence clearly originated from the shallow end of the gene pool. And then there was this jungle-hot, humid, cut off from the light, essentially different from the trees of Flicky Island in every way possible. But to see this machine, this marvel of engineering…the bluebird had no idea what it actually was, but it was incredible. Not even the cats had anything like this, and they claimed to be from an actual kingdom. Metal in the sky, cauldrons of fire supporting its wings…it was incredible.

"Was," however, was the key word in that sentence. Was because everything that was incredible about the machine lay in the past. The present was a completely different story, and a scary one at that. One second, the machine was king of all it surveyed. The next, it was being overthrown by some kind of…swarm. Like giant metal hornets, though with the yellow and black stripes of a bee. Yet their red eyes, their serrated teeth…those were their own. As were the red lasers that were being fired from their stingers into the bulky flying machine.

"What's…going on?" Sonic whispered.

Flicky didn't know. Even if he did, he couldn't answer, so caught up in fear. Genuine _fear_. The cats and iggies had been intimidating, but at least the bluebird could understand their nature, origin and goals. Here however…Flicky could understand none of that. These things…metal wasps…existing only to destroy…

"We need to leave…" the avian whispered, the sound of laserfire and explosions drowning out his words. "We need to leave _now_…"

Evidently the flying machine had the same idea. It veered around and took off away from the attackers, trying to escape. How it could do so Flicky didn't know, as it was soon out of sight, along with the smoke it was trailing behind it. And as they gave pursuit, the metal insects were out of sight as well.

It briefly occurred to Flicky that he could fly up above the canopy and see what had happened. Briefly, because while the things had focused on the flying machine, he was certain that they would have eradicated them if they'd known of their presence. The canopy was the only thing keeping them safe. And besides, as a _boom_ reverberated through the jungle, smoke rising up into the sky…Flicky didn't need an imagination to know what had happened.

Silence descended over the jungle. No bird songs, no running river, not even the sound of wind. Just…silence. Silence that Flicky was ready to break in an instant, to flap his wings and not stop flying until he was back on Flicky Island. Yet Sonic beat him to it.

"I'm going after them."

Flicky blinked. Four words. Four words that had been uttered by a _child _and were either the most stupid words he'd ever heard in his life, or the bravest. Considering the child aspect, Flicky settled on the former.

"After them?" the mobian whispered. "Kid…those things…they come after us and…well, you saw what happened…"

"I did. That's why I have to help them."

Flicky just stared at the hedgehog, not sure what to say, or even if he should say anything at all. Sonic wasn't his responsibility-despite going after him on the beach, he never had been. Yet there was something about him just now, something that hadn't been seen until this moment. A…fire, within him. It seemed ludicrous, the idea that a six year old could have such an effect on anyone, but there it was. Given time, say a decade, maybe Sonic could be someone Flicky would follow into danger in an instant. Yet for that time to come, he had to survive. And to survive, both of them had to leave this jungle _right now_.

Opening his mouth, Flicky tried to tell the youngster that.

Before he could however, Sonic had already sped off.

* * *

There were three main lines of thought running through Sonic's brain right now, all stemming from his running through the jungle. And only by running at all was he able to avoid dealing with them.

The first line of thought was based on his sense of caution in the general sense, the knowledge that not only was he running, he was running _fast_. As long as Sonic could remember, he'd had the gift of super speed and by extension, had the directorate of _not _running drilled into him as well. Specifically not to run too fast in order to avoid getting a new pair of sneakers every month, but for the hedgehog, he might as well have been told not to run at all. It would be like playing baseball with one hand behind your back, or playing soccer with only one leg. If he was going to run, he wanted to make it meaningful. And while he was willing to respect his uncle's wishes to an extent, there was a limit.

Quickly making his way through the undergrowth, he'd reached it.

The second line of thought was based on caution in the specific sense, one that applied exclusively to his situation. Here he was, six years old, in a jungle devoid of adults and apparently populated by wasps of doom. Wasps that had wrecked havoc against soldiers last night and had just taken out a dropship. There was seemingly some level of resistance going on, given the sound of laserfire, but what could he do? He was no King Acorn or General D'Coolette, and the second line of thought kept pointing out was that the only way he could take out these metal insects was if his arrival made them laugh theirselves to death.

Yet the third line of thought overwhelmed the first two. It was the vaguest of the three, simply spurring Sonic on based on the desire…no, _need _to keep moving. To keep running. To face danger, conquer it and return home a hero to find chili dogs waiting for him. The need wasn't expressed in such express terms, yet Sonic listened to it nonetheless. Maybe it was because he wanted to listen to it, that out of the three lines of thought, the idea of being a hero was most appealing. Or maybe it was gut instinct…a desire to run towards danger and face it rather than flee. And even when he reached the point where flight was no longer an option, the third line of thought remained dominant…at least until the fourth line of thought surfaced.

It simply said "what on Mobius is going on here?"

In mere minutes, Sonic had reached his destination. Hiding behind some foliage, he hoped it wasn't his final one.

"Fire! Fire!"

"Bugs! Get…me…"

Something was happening. Something that the hedgehog could tell was bad with something even beyond a capital B. The insects were flying around the artificial clearing caused by the crashed dropship, exchanging laserfire with the mobians that had been on it. In an instant, Sonic was reminded of Mobotropolis's fall-a one-sided fight. And like before, his own kind were on the receiving end of machines. Machines that in a way, were even more terrifying than the bi-pedal automatons called "SWATbots." At least they'd been more concerned with capturing mobians than eliminating them. But these things…it seemed their only purpose was to destroy…

_Run…_said lines of thought one and two. _Run _now_…_

Sonic ignored it. He'd run in Mobotropolis. He wouldn't run this time. And to prove his point, he edged closer to the battle-scene, moving out of the foliage…

…foliage that quickly burst into flames.

Letting out a yelp, the youngster fell backwards, falling away from the fire and onto the cool jungle floor. Cool as in temperature that was. As a trio of the wasps suddenly appeared above him, his situation was about as far away from cool as it was possible to get. Which, for some reason, greatly appealed to him.

"Hey guys," Sonic asked the wasps/hornets/bees/whatevers. "Wanna play tag?"

The answer was a trio of lasers. And in turn, Sonic's answer was to flip back and land on his feet well clear of the scorch marks.

"Come on guys, I don't want to stay 'it' forever…"

Then again, as Sonic turned tail on the wasps and ran into the jungle, he realized that might not be such a bad idea…

* * *

**Targeting…**

**Species: Mobian**

**Sub-species: Hedgehog**

**Threat Level: Minimal**

**Directive: Terminate**

**Executing directive…**

**

* * *

**

It was an interesting paradox. Sonic knew full well that he was running for his life, that it could be snuffed out in an instant. Yet on the other, he'd never felt so _alive_…

Maybe it was from a year of relative lethargy, yet Sonic couldn't remember feeling such excitement. He'd always had to hold back to an extent, whether it be for his uncle's sake or that of his friends, to at least give them something resembling a chance in anything that involved physical activity. Yet in this moment, his speed on full, his senses at their sharpest as he wove over, under, around and sometimes through undergrowth, he felt liberated. Felt free.

This was what true speed was all about. Liberation. Freedom. The feeling of letting yourself go to your momentum. And all it had taken for him to realize this was a swarm of homicidal wasp things.

_Or just three at least, _Sonic reminded himself, briefly breaking free from his sense of euphoria to glance back at the trio of metal insects following him. _Guess that's a good thing…_

Laserfire tore through the jungle, but none of it hit its target. It wasn't so much that the drones were bad shots, it was just that such was Sonic's speed and the vegetation around him that what was an accurate shot one millisecond was inaccurate the next, their target and his respective cover changing position.

"Come on guys!" Sonic yelled as he vaulted over a log, only to nearly snag himself in a vine. "I know you look like insects! Don't tell me you're as smart as them too!"

More laserfire was the only answer he got.

Gritting his teeth, Sonic picked up his pace, even though he was well above what could be considered a safe velocity in these conditions. Evading the drones was one thing. Actually taking them out or even losing them was another. They were fast, small, maneuverable and the hedgehog didn't have a weapon of any kind. He was so caught up in these thoughts that he didn't see the branch until it was too late.

_Homina homina homina!_

There was nothing to do but go straight through it. Or, more specifically, stick his hands out and let it bend as he ran past. The branch bended at Sonic's velocity, and swung back at a similar speed.

As a 'boom' filled the jungle, one of the drones found that out the hard way.

Had Sonic been travelling faster than the speed of sound, effectively doing what he'd wanted to do for as long as he could remember, he wouldn't have heard the explosion. But as he was still a long way away from breaking the sound barrier, he not only heard the explosion, but was able to look back at its source as well. Of course a small fire was all that was left by this point, but the hedgehog didn't have to put two and two together to realize that it was one of the drones.

_Huh…guess they're destroyed pretty easily…_the mobian reflected. _All sting but no sturdiness…_

Sonic shook it off. The drones could be destroyed, he'd have to rely on more than puns to take out the other two. They were still flying after him, still shooting and there was no indication that they were going to let up.

_So maybe…_Sonic thought to himself, the vague outline of a plan forming in his head. _I'm the one who has to let up…_

Screeching to a halt and giving his sneakers' soles a death sentence in the process, Sonic did just that. Yet as far as the mobian was concerned, it was completely worth it as both of the drones shot past him. One stopped its motion in a pinch, turning around to face its adversary. The other…didn't, as one unfortunate tree found out.

"Two down, one to go," Sonic sneered at the remaining drone.

Sonic hoped he sounded braver than he felt. Running from the insects was one thing-running was what he did best after all and what he loved. Actually facing the hornet was another matter. And locking his brown eyes into the bee thing's metallic red ones, Sonic didn't want to be around any longer than necessary.

_Yeah, but buzz-brain probably doesn't want to hang around either…_

Opening fire at the hedgehog again, that was indeed the case.

Avoiding the laserfire yet feeling the heat of impact wash over him, Sonic took off running again, wondering if he could score third time lucky. He didn't know how intelligent these things were, whether his tricks…no, _luck _could take out the third. He somehow doubted it. His only real experience with robots had been in Mobotropolis and while the SWATbots had been simple minded, they hadn't struck him as stupid. But then again, what would he know? He hated to admit it, but he was just a kid. A kid who could run faster than anyone else, but a child nonetheless.

_Come on Sonic, think. What would Uncle Chuck do in this situation?_

The hedgehog didn't know. Chuck couldn't run half as fast as he could, so that made the concept of applied situation moot. Sure, he could whip up some platitude like "what goes up must come down, but…"

Sonic blinked, and not because of the falling leaves as their host branches were destroyed. He had it.

_Good ol' Chuck. He's good for more than just chili dogs…_

Trying to banish all such thoughts of food aside for now, Sonic put his plan into action. He'd never tried this before, but there was a first time for everything and what better time when he was running for his life? Gritting his teeth, Sonic ran towards a tree…and then ran up it.

"Way past cool! Woo!"

Such was Sonic's speed that he scaled the trunk without any problems, even able to avoid the branches without any difficulty. Glancing back, he saw that the robot was following him, but was having a much harder time about it. Heck, it wasn't even firing its laser anymore.

_Okay…_thought the hedgehog to himself. _Now for phase two…_

In an instant, Sonic stopped running. In another instant, he let gravity take over. And in the instant after that, not only was a young mobian falling to the ground, but he was carrying a robot insect with him. Or rather, sitting on it and holding its wings in place so it couldn't escape.

And, as the hedgehog realized in a fourth instant, neither could he.

It was at this point in time that Sonic realized his plan had a potential flaw-timing. Let go of the drone too soon, and it could fly off. Let go too late, and he'd splatter on the jungle floor with it. Neither option was particularly appealing, but avoiding both would require timing, concentration and a third blessing from Lady Luck.

_Okay…_thought the mobian to himself as both he and the drone approached to the forest floor. _Here…we…go!_

Sonic jumped and landed safely. The drone didn't.

"Yeah! Way way past cool!"

Part of Sonic's mind told him that saying "way" twice might be a bit excessive. The rest of his mind told that part to shut up. Brushing off the dirt and wiping away his sweat, the mobian looked at the drone's wreckage. A mangled pile of metal, wires and…well, that was it. Metal and wires. Nothing more, nothing less.

_Well, actually a lot less. But hey, I can go without gloating…maybe…_

He couldn't.

Sonic opened his mouth, ready to utter something witty. Yet no sound came out. Because not only had he landed in a natural clearing, but neither he nor the insect were the first ones there. He'd been beaten to the punch-line. And looking at what had beaten him to it, Sonic found he couldn't say anything witty at all. All he could say was the question that was running through every section of his mind…

_What on Mobius is that?_


	4. Instigation

**Sonic the Hedgehog: Transgression**

**Chapter 4: Instigation**

Throughout his life, Sonic had seen a few strange things. Warlord Julian, the robots that said warlord had later used in his betrayal, chili dogs…well, chili dogs at least the first time he saw them as opposed to them now being his staple source of food. Yet this…thing before him had to top them all.

"Ah, you're alive. Um…yay?"

Scratch that-Flicky could be far weirder.

Sonic was aware of the bluebird landing on a branch by him, but didn't spare his fellow mobian a second glance. He couldn't. Not when he was looking at a beehive made out of metal that stood ten feet tall, surrounded by dozens of the hornets/wasps/bees/slash too many possible types of insect for his liking. They were just hovering through the air, as if patrolling but not to the extent that they were expecting any visitors. Even as a second swarm descended upon the hive, they took no notice. Just hovering…drifting…letting a second drone join their number every few seconds…

_Wait, what?_

Apparently things could get even weirder. The 'hive' didn't seem to be so much a dwelling for these things, but rather a method of production. Every few seconds a drone would buzz out of the hive, flying up to its fellows and begin its endless and seemingly pointless circling.

"What is this?" Flicky whispered, now slightly less weird in that his words could actually be related to. "Metal insects producing more metal insects? But…why? How? Did they bring it here or build it? And if so, how? I…I don't get this."

Neither did Sonic. But he wasn't going to admit that.

The young hedgehog had never had an interest with the war footing the Kingdom of Acorn in the past five years bar how it affected him directly-in essence, his uncle and elements of the conflict that could be seen within Mobotropolis. Yet from what little he had picked up, logistics among them of all things, he supposed that it was more likely the drones had brought this hive with them, that building more of them on South Island would be more effective than building more of them at their point of origin. Heck, maybe that was the point. Because something had to be feeding this machine, and looking the hull plates and laser rifles lying on a pile, as if ready to be fed to the beast, the hedgehog had an idea as to what its source was.

_Metal becoming metal…potentially enough to overrun this entire island…_

This was big. Really big. The type of big that made Sonic briefly want to hide, run and/or tell Uncle Chuck. Yet he managed to resist. The soldiers hadn't been able to do anything and even if enough arrived to act as exterminators in time, there might be too many of these drones by then. No…he'd have to take matters into his own hands…

_Question is, how?_

Not for the first time this past year, the hedgehog wished his friends were here. Sally could have helped him with logic, Boomer could have helped him with his technical prowess and while Antoine probably wouldn't have been able to help him at all, just the presence of the gang's goofball would have been reassuring. Yet here he was, all alone. Well, Flicky was here as well, but that hardly counted for anything did it?

"This thing…it's huge…but where's it getting its energy from?"

"Oh, I don't know," sneered Sonic sarcastically. "Maybe a few hundred double-As is giving it the electricity it needs."

"…Double whats? Electricity?"

The hedgehog shook his head. He'd heard that there were plenty of regions on Mobius which had people with next to no technology, but only after hearing Flicky's ignorance could he fully believe it. Sure, mobians generally had a philosophical aversion to technology (and after the fall of Mobotropolis, Sonic could understand why) but to have no concept of it? That was…well, certainly not way past cool, he could say that.

_Asking where it's getting its power, what a…actually, that isn't such a bad question…_

How _was _this thing powered? Gazing at the hive itself, the mobian had no answer. Gazing at the cord that ran through the dirt to a small black box however, he did have an answer, or at least a guess. But it was one he was willing to make a move on. Take out its power source, and…well, then deal with over a dozen drones.

_So how do I do that? Or, how do _we _do that? Or, how do I do that when it _should _be a case of _we_, but…ah, screw it…_

"Say Flicky…" the hedgehog murmured. "How you'd like to be a hero?"

"Not much," the bird answered glumly. "Being a hero is more than it's worth."

"Huh?"

"Oh yeah…overcoming cats and lizards sounds cool and all, but then there's the flickies to deal with. Flicky this, flicky that…ugh…"

Sonic had no idea what the bluebird was going on about, but looking at his blank expression, realized that maybe he could turn it to his advantage. Flicky might be open to suggestions like this…and if he presented his plan as such…well, Sally could probably do a better job, but he was here, alone. Just like a comic book hero…

_Alright then. Let's see if the Dark Bat, the Rush and the Super Surfer have taught me anything…_

_

* * *

_

**Status: Nominal. Engaging in patrol of Hive-01. Will hold this position until further orders are received. **

…

…

…

**(External): **_**Hey there buzzers. Knew you guys look like insects, but now I see you're about as smart as them as well!**_

**Acquiring source…**

**Species: Mobian**

**Sub-species: Bird**

**Threat Level: Minimal**

**Directive: Terminate**

**Executing directive…**

**(External): **_**Nah, you're wrong Flicky. They're even **_**dumber**_** than your average insect!**_

**Acquiring source…**

**Species: Mobian**

**Sub-species: Hedgehog**

**Threat Level: Pending-data indicates hedgehog is responsible for destruction of three units. Will move threat level from minimal to moderate.**

**Directive: Terminate with caution-target has power supply for Hive-01.**

**Ignore previous directive. Concentrate on hedgehog.**

**Executing directive…**

**

* * *

**

_So…_thought Sonic to himself. _This is what déjà vu feels like…_

Sonic didn't fully understand the concept, and really the only reason he was familiar with it at all was because it belonged to the same strange language that Antoine spoke naturally-in essence, more ammo. It wasn't until right this second that he began to actually feel what he supposed the phrase meant-present events being greatly similar to past ones. Case in point, his situation-chased by drones through the jungle of South Island.

_Heh, I could get used to this. Maybe I could even get a theme song…_

The drones thought differently, opening fire with their lasers, blanketing the jungle with a red glow. Obviously they weren't the musical types.

Having got no further than "blue streak speeds by," the hedgehog returned his attention to the situation, this time focusing on the differences rather than the similarities. This time, dozens of drones were chasing him rather than just three, the amount of lasers in the air was testament to this and he was carrying a small black box under his arm. No doubt the power source to the hive considering that production ceased immediately once he unhooked it. Also no doubt that was why the entire swarm had left their nest unguarded. Apparently without its power source, it wasn't worth guarding at all.

_And now they're all after me…_Sonic thought to himself, vaulting over a fallen log just before it exploded under the heat of laserfire. _I'm flattered…_

And liberated. Three of the wasps chasing him was great. But this…the speed, the closeness of danger, the use of his skills to their maximum…it was _wonderful…_

At least it was until he reached the next log. This time, it exploded while Sonic was still on it.

The mobian let out a yell as he sailed through the air, landing on his back on the cool jungle floor, his eyes fixed on its canopy as it briefly faded out of focus. Eyes that were met by the malignant red glow of machines. One machine in particular, as it hovered over him, lowering its stinger.

"Come on bolt-brain!" Sonic yelled, actually more frustrated than scared right now. "Get to the point of it!"

Evidently the drone didn't like puns. Evidently it wasn't going to fire either, instead flying down towards its target, its stinger stuck out like a sword. Forget lasers…impalement was its desired action.

_Uh-oh…_

On instinct, Sonic rolled to one side, feeling something hard on his stomach-the black box.

_Wait, why do I still have-…_

**Bzzz!**

Letting out a yelp, Sonic rolled back the opposite way, evading the robot's stinger a second time. Why the rest of them didn't just fire Sonic didn't know, and he supposed he never would. The stinger was coming down a third time, and he couldn't evade it.

_No…can't happen…like this…_

In desperation, the mobian lifted up the black box like a shield. He had no doubt that these things could easily tear through it but with a bit of luck, its stinger might not be long enough to go through both the box and his stomach. Hopefully, he might survive. Hopefully…

_Wait a minute…_

Sonic opened his eyes, having closed them originally as what looked like the end drew near. However, the drone had gone the opposite way, seemingly doing a loop at the last second rather than puncturing the power source. For a brief second, the metal wasp had been caught off guard. And not wasting the opportunity, Sonic sprang to his feet, took off again and derived satisfaction from the sound of laserfire, hitting everything in the jungle but its intended target.

"See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" Sonic called out, more out of elation than a desire to insult the machines. Things were heating up, both figuratively and literally, but he was still here. Still cool. Still the fastest thing on two feet. Yet for all his joy, for all the thrill of the chase, an unpleasant question nonetheless surfaced in his mind…

_I'm the fastest thing on two feet…but for how much longer?_

Ducking under an exploding branch and losing a bit of traction in the process, Sonic realized he didn't like the potential answer. And as a result, and what he disliked even more, he supposed he'd have to think his way out of this.

_Sally would be so proud right now…_

Or gloating. Right now, the difference was academic.

Sooner or later, the drones would get lucky. Sooner or later, Sonic would either have to leave the jungle and be exposed, or stay in it for so long that there'd be no jungle left, leaving him exposed just the same. The drones were relentless, and bar their odd show of showmanship, letting only one of their number take him when he…

_Wait a minute…why _didn't _they fire?_

The mobian reminded himself about what had happened in Mobotropolis-machines were machines. Logical to a fault. There had to be some kind of reason why the hornets didn't fire at him while he was on the ground, why the executioner of their number had veered away from the black box, why…

_The power source…that's it. The drones must need it. That's why they didn't fire at me on the ground, why the drone used its stinger instead of its laser, why it veered away at the last second…sure they're firing at me now, but how else are they going to slow me down?_

The swarm needed their power source. Apparently, retrieving it was an even bigger priority than taking out the one who possessed it. That was what drove them, their core centre of logic. And maybe, if Sonic knew his geography right, he could use that to his advantage…

_Except…oh Mobius, help me…_

Fact: Robots didn't like water.

Fact: Sonic _loathed _water.

Fact: There was a river that ran through the jungle that emptied out to the beach.

Fact: He could hear the sound of the river right now.

Fact: Fate was a cruel mistress.

Gritting his teeth and feeling his heart race for reasons other than exertion, Sonic headed to the body of water. Water…perhaps the one thing he hated even more than these drones. His only hope was that they hated it even more…though not enough to follow their precious battery.

_Well guys…_Sonic thought as he approached the waterway. _Surf's up!_

Taking a deep breath, Sonic dived in. And while none of them took a breath of their own, the drones dived in after him.

Sonic no longer felt his heart pounding, though as he was carried along in the rapids, the feeling of his lungs exploding more than made up for it. Such was the speed of the river that it made him drop the battery, but as he gazed through the swirling water, he saw it didn't matter. All the drones were being swept along with him…useless…as good as dead…

_And so am I if I don't get out of this!_

His lungs screaming, his head pounding, Sonic struggled to reach the surface. His arms managed to get to the world of decency and dryness occasionally, but never his nose or mouth. And as the pounding increased, as his heartbeat decreased, his breaching of the surface happened less and less. The water…the blackness…it closed in around him…

_Can't end…must…reach…_

The blackness closed in on him. The darkness reached into him. The pounding stopped, the shouting stopped, his desire to survive stopped. Everything just…stopped…

Or at least it did until someone called him an idiot and grabbed hold of his arm…

* * *

"Kid, I've known morons…and now I've known idiots!"

A bit harsh, but Flicky well and truly meant it. Morons were individuals who couldn't help being stupid, like his brethren on Flicky Island. Idiots were individuals who were stupid even when better judgement should prevent them from being so. Right now, having dived into the raging river, the hedgehog was an example of the latter.

"Flicky…" the mobian spluttered, coughing up water as he did so. "You…saved me…"

"Unfortunately, yeah. I did."

Sonic coughed up some more, murmuring something about hating water. In turn, the bluebird asked why he jumped into the river in the first place. As the hedgehog pointed to the river, Flicky understood why. While Sonic didn't like water, it was clear that these drones liked it even less. In fact, it seemed that they disliked it so much that they'd stopped functioning altogether.

"So that was your plan. Get me to distract the drones so you could steal the hive's power source, then trick them into following you…"

Sonic remained silent, but in a way, he didn't need to answer. Or could. Even as he got to his feet, it was clear that he was still recovering from his bath. Using the time available to him, Flicky flew over to the edge of the river. One of the drones had managed to reach its banks before expiring. Fishing out its wreckage, the mobian examined it as best a bird could. Wings were great for flight, but not so much feeling.

"Hmm…" the bluebird murmured, looking it over. "Says here that it's some kind of…of…"

"Buzzbomber."

The mobian looked up at his darker blue counterpart, taking the drone in his arms. He turned it over, an expression of interest on his features.

"A buzzbomber," Sonic repeated. "Some kind of…badnik, apparently. Also has a string of numbers on it…kind of like a barcode…"

Flicky didn't know what a barcode was, but then again, he didn't know what a buzzbomber or badnik was either. Well, not until now anyway. Right now, it seemed that the phrase "ignorance is bliss" was being justified."

"Well…" the bluebird began, having had enough of this. "It's been great and all, but I think I'll be heading home now. A lower level of insanity might do me good."

"Um, yeah, you do that…" Sonic murmured, still staring at the 'buzzbomber.' "See you around…"

Flicky remained silent, deciding not to point out that the chances of that were quite unlikely. This was South Island's problem, not his. And while he wouldn't admit it, it seemed this hedgehog could handle himself quite well, lack of swimming ability notwithstanding. Less than ten years old now, but give a decade or so…well, the results would be interesting to see the least.

_If I even see them…_

Which again, he doubted. Whatever the source of these buzzbombers, whatever their motives…it wasn't his problem.

It wouldn't affect him…

* * *

"Negative sir. No more contact is being maintained with Hive Zero-One, nor the buzzbombers it was assigned to."

"I see…how unfortunate…"

The doctor leant back in the chair at the centre of his base of operations, the heart of both Robotropolis and his soon to be empire. He didn't know how the buzzbombers had been taken out-the last feed they'd sent via the hive was a successful engagement against a South Island dropship and the furballs within it. What could have occurred in so short a time to take them all out?

"Sir? Shall we dispatch another swarm?"

"No Snively…I think I've done enough today."

"You mean we sir."

"No Snively…_I_…"

The future ruler of Mobius watched his lapdog nod sullenly before returning to the console. He didn't know why he kept him around-he'd proven himself barely competent and since robians were so good at taking orders, it would be logical to just roboticize him. Then again, he would prove a good microcosm for the nature of his rule. Robians obeyed him because they had no other choice. Organics would obey him through fear-the same kind of fear that the buzzbombers had instilled on South Island, even if they were destroyed. The world had to know that submission or annihilation were the only options left to them. South Island, like the rest of the world would be taken into the fold in time. But for now…best to prepare them for the transition…

Which, he had to admit, was going smother than expected. With Mobotropolis having been converted into a metropolis that could actually be called a city and Megapolis having apparently been abandoned, a power vacuum existed on the continent, one that he could fill without opposition. Granted, some of the furries had been able to escape, but that seemed academic now. Maybe it was better they seemed to have disappeared, lest he have to deal with their filth directly. Let them huddle in the dark and fear his name…as every mobian on this mudball would…

_Yes…_ Doctor Robotnik thought to himself, folding fingers both metal and organic. _Things are going very well indeed…_

He had no idea that he'd be eating those words in a decade…

**The End**

* * *

_A/N_

_Well, that's that completed. Can't really give an end speech given the short length and lacklusture response. Still, I accept the fault's my own, so no whining. Anyway, by way of shameless plugging, I have two more _Sonic the Hedgehog _stories on my 'to write' list at this point in time-_Jungle of Shadow_ and _The Mobius Chronicles_, though I've yet to post info on that on my homepage. Either way, both are a bit off, as my current writing focus is on a _Killzone _fic named _Underworld_. Gone from shooting lasers to shooting bullets, but hey, it's all good. ;)_


End file.
